


No Award For Most Times Shot

by mjules



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-17
Updated: 2012-06-17
Packaged: 2017-11-07 22:56:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/436362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mjules/pseuds/mjules
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A bit of headcanon for my personal Shepard: A briefly happy but ill-fated relationship with tech specialist Ochren, the salarian on Pinnacle Station.</p>
            </blockquote>





	No Award For Most Times Shot

“You’re the best we’ve seen,” Ochren says, and the quiet tone is gratifying to hear. It gives him a little flutter in his stomach, something he’s not entirely used to these days. He hasn’t really courted the whole butterflies-and-breathlessness feeling since Mason, back on Earth, and that’s been thirteen years ago now.

 The tech specialist is dismissive of him in the next breath, but Shepard knows he wasn’t imagining things, not the respect he just heard and not the worry in Ochren’s voice when he elected to run the special simulation.

“So, uh, this cabin of Ahern’s,” Shepard says, and pauses to lick his lips. They’re dry, a little cracked. “You ever seen it?”

“I have not. Do you think I have time to go inspecting other people’s neglected real estate when I have to run these simulations for all these mediocre soldiers?” Ochren sounds bored, impatient, but Shepard figures hell, he never has to see him again if this goes badly.

“Apparently I own it now,” he says, going for casual and hoping he makes it. “You should come see it sometime.”

Ochren keeps hitting an inexplicable series of buttons; Shepard’s no tech, but from the display, he guesses it’s probably assessing the damage to the simulator and what needs fixing. He waits, but Ochren doesn’t say anything else, and Shepard clears his throat, turning to leave.

“Maybe I will,” Ochren says suddenly, and Shepard pauses. “If I have time, of course.”

“Of course.” Shepard can’t stop his smile, and he’s got a little bounce in his step as he walks out of Pinnacle Station.

*

It’s not easy making stops at his new apartment without raising eyebrows, especially when they’re on a short schedule anyway, but it helps that there are resources there – Ahern’s special relationship with a few smugglers makes it obvious that he used the place more than he let on, and Shepard’s not above taking advantage of it if it gets good equipment for his crew.

He’s lucky, too, that it’s in the same system as Pinnacle Station, makes it a little easier for Ochren to take an extra long lunch break and hop over.

The first time he does, Shepard can almost feel the clock ticking, breathing down his neck. They’ve only got a couple of hours before Ochren has to be back… and before the _Normandy_ comes looking for Shepard.

“I, uh, don’t do this much,” Shepard says, grimacing and rubbing a hand over the back of his neck.

Ochren looks around the apartment, idly curious. “Do what?” he asks cheekily. “Have sex, or have sex with salarians?”

That gets a laugh, short and uncomfortable though it is. “Uh, both,” he admits. “I’ve done the first one before, at least, which is more than I can say about the second.”

Ochren smiles, a little twitch of expression that’s gone almost as soon as Shepard sees it. “Lucky for you this is not my first rodeo, space cowboy,” he says, and then he’s in Shepard’s space, crowding him with warmth and long fingers on his hips. “The bed’s probably more comfortable for this, but the couch has a better view. Where do you want to go?”

“I’m not gonna be looking at the view,” Shepard says thickly, and Ochren’s smile tells him that was the right thing to say.

*

He doesn’t know what he expected from bedding an alien from a species rumored to be asexual and aromantic, but it definitely wasn’t the kind of orgasm that leaves him trembling on the bed, legs shaky and hands clumsy as he shifts, reaches for Ochren.

Their short time together is even shorter now, but it was time well-spent.

“So what do you say?” The curve of Ochren’s mouth is smug, his hands still petting over Shepard’s hips, staying away from the too-sensitive flesh between his legs where those deft fingers just worked all kinds of magic on Shepard’s nerve endings. “Did I manage to impress the legendary Commander Shepard?”

“Hell yes.” Shepard laughs, low and rough, and runs a light touch up Ochren’s leg. “You might have to help me out this first time,” he admits, “but I promise I’m a fast learner.”

Ochren guides his hand, presses it against a soft, swollen opening between his legs. “Just rub,” he says, still smug but gratifyingly breathless now. “ _Gently_. No pain; all gain.”

Shepard groans at that, and Ochren laughs. It’s a pleasant sound, and Shepard finds he doesn’t even mind the terrible joke. He minds even less when Ochren kisses him.

*

The ship is quiet – too quiet – on the way to the Mu Relay. Shepard’s restless, and the crew’s been giving him looks that are either too pitying or too knowing, and so he retreats to his cabin for the trip.

It feels like a long time since he saw Ochren. They’ve only slept together twice, and they both know this probably isn’t going anywhere, not with Shepard chasing down shadowy threats and Ochren managing simulations. (“No one’s beaten your records yet,” he said last time. “Not sure anyone can.”) But it’s been nice, touches and kisses and a warm body next to him in bed, even for just a few minutes. It’s been so long, and he finds he’s missed it.

He picks up his datapad, flicks through the headlines that don’t interest him. He opens his messages, pulls up a blank text field, and addresses it to Ochren.

 _Headed into non-simulated danger yet again,_ he types. _In case I don’t come back, I want you to know I appreciate everything you’ve done, as a technician and as a friend, and you can consider the apartment yours._

_-Shepard_

It’s about fifteen minutes later before the tablet beeps at him, and he opens Ochren’s reply. It’s just one line, but it makes him smile.

_I’ll keep it ready for you._

_-O_

*

“I noticed you were running extranet searches on Intai’sei,” Yeoman Chambers says far too cheerfully from her station. “Is there something I can help you find?”

Shepard frowns and closes down his terminal. “No,” he says, short and sharp. He walks up the stairs to the galaxy map and stands with his hands braced against the bar. Picking up Mordin Solus on Omega has made him start thinking of things best left buried.

It’s been two years, and they only saw each other four times outside of Pinnacle Station. Shepard’s sure he’s moved on.

A few minutes later, he turns to Chambers.

“Is there any way to tell who currently holds the deed for a property?” he asks, and she smiles brightly at him.

“Commander, this is _Cerberus_. We can tell every owner for any property in the galaxy. Who did you want to look up?”

Shepard thinks about Ochren looking up passwords for clumsy soldiers at an Alliance training facility, thinks about Ochren finding out someone was looking into his business. Thinks about Ochren finding out that it was Shepard – Shepard, who’s been dead for two years and is now working for Cerberus.

He shakes his head. “Nah, don’t worry about it,” he says. “He’s probably sold it by now anyway.”


End file.
